GF SECURITIES·2026-02-26 15:12Investment Rating - The report provides a "Buy" rating for the banking sector, indicating an expectation that stock prices will outperform the market by more than 10% over the next 12 months [54]. Core Insights - Recent high growth in bank deposits has led to market interpretations of banks being "asset deficient." However, this interpretation is challenged by the contractual nature of banking operations, where deposits and loans are derived simultaneously [4][12]. - The widening of the loan-to-deposit spread (LDR) is influenced by six key factors: cash withdrawal demand, reserve requirements, interbank lending, bond investment scale, bond issuance, and bank capital [4][14]. - The increase in net bond financing is a significant factor contributing to the widening of the loan-to-deposit spread. Two scenarios are identified: when bond financing costs are lower than loan rates, and when non-bank entities reduce their borrowing, leading to a return of funds to banks [4][35]. - From January 2025 to January 2026, the loan-to-deposit spread widened by 11.4 trillion CNY, with new bond investments contributing 16.6 trillion CNY and market bond net financing at 20.6 trillion CNY [4][45]. - In January 2026, net bond investment increased by 1.9 trillion CNY, while total market bond net financing was only 1.4 trillion CNY, indicating a negative contribution of -9.68% from bond financing to the loan-to-deposit spread [4][45]. Summary by Sections Section 1: Implications of Widening Loan-to-Deposit Spread - The loan-to-deposit spread for large banks increased from 15.8 trillion CNY in January 2025 to 21.8 trillion CNY in January 2026, while for medium-sized banks, it rose from 16.5 trillion CNY to 23.5 trillion CNY [12]. - The decline in loan-to-deposit ratios for large banks from 89.1% to 86.5% and for medium-sized banks from 88.3% to 84.7% reflects a shift in asset allocation demands [12]. Section 2: Factors Influencing Loan-to-Deposit Spread - The six factors affecting the loan-to-deposit spread include: 1. Cash withdrawal demand 2. Reserve situation 3. Interbank lending to non-banking entities 4. Scale of bond investments 5. Bond issuance 6. Bank capital [4][14]. - The report emphasizes that the relationship between bond financing and loans must differentiate between government and non-government bonds, as the issuance of government bonds does not affect the loan-to-deposit spread [4][35]. Section 3: Analysis of Recent Changes in Bank Assets and Liabilities - The report details the contributions of various factors to the loan-to-deposit spread, including a -47% contribution from bank funds exiting the balance sheet and a 173% contribution from the substitution effect of bonds for loans [4][45]. - The analysis of January 2026 data shows that non-bank funds returning to banks contributed 25.9% to the loan-to-deposit spread, while interbank net assets contributed 43.3% [4][45].